Abstract

Bovine milk has been reported to contain low levels of Immunoglobulin A (IgA) in comparison to human milk (0.1 g/L vs 1.0 g/L, respectively) (Butler, 1999). However, analysis of milk collected from cows vaccinated to induce antigen-specific IgA secretion in milk (Hodgkinson, et al., 2007) has demonstrated that the IgA response of individual cows is variable, with a ~10-fold range in the IgA production by individual vaccinated cows at peak lactation (E.A. Carpenter, Unpublished data). Approximately 10% of these cows are classified as “high milk IgA producers”, defined by Wagter et al.(2000) as those cows with a milk IgA concentration greater than one standard deviation above the group mean.

EA, Carpenter, DR Hurford, SM Hickey, and CA Morris

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 70, Palmerston North, 43-45, 2010